Motor driven cradles and the like

ABSTRACT

A motor driven cradle or swing is provided in which a spring construction is employed which permits of extended operation without rewinding. The spring is a composite spring composed of nested inner and outer spring sections, the inner spring section being connected at one end to a driving shaft on which a ratchet wheel forming part of an escapement is secured and to which an oscillating frame is pivotally supported, the other end of the inner spring section being coupled through a coupling or spring section connector to one end of the outer spring section, the other end of the outer spring section being connected to the oscillating frame. The outside spring end connection remote from the coupling is shaped to provide a slip-clutch action.

United States Patent 1191 [451 Apr. 16, 1974 Saint 1 MOTOR DRIVENCRADLES AND THE LIKE [75] Inventor: David Saint, Elverson, Pa.

[73] Assignee: Graco Metal Products, Inc.,

Elverson, Pa.

[22] Filed: Jan. 4, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 320,879

[52] US. Cl. 272/86, 185/45 [51] Int. Cl A63g 9/16 [58] Field of Search272/85-91, 272/83 A, 33; 185/37, 45; 297/5, 8, 297/274-282; 46/29;287/83, 110, 115, 287/118, 114; 58/114; 267/180 [56] References CitedUNITED STATES PATENTS 2,807,309 9/1957 Saint et a1 272/86 740,114 9/1903Fiske 185/45 633,328 9/1899 Roberts 185/45 2,662,612 185/45 12/1953Valenburg [5 7] ABSTRACT A motor driven cradle or swing is provided inwhich a spring construction is employed which permits of extendedoperation without rewinding. The spring is a composite spring composedof nested inner and outer spring sections, the inner spring sectionbeing connected at one end to a driving shaft on which a ratchet wheelforming part of an escapement is secured and to which an oscillatingframe is pivotally supported, the other end of the inner spring sectionbeing coupled through a coupling or spring section connector to one endof the outer spring section, the other end of the outer spring sectionbeing connected to the oscillating frame. The outside spring endconnection remote from the coupling is shaped to provide a slip-clutchaction.

' 8 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION l. Field ofthe Invention This invention relates to spring motor driven cradles andthe like and more particularly to an improved spring construction withwhich greatly extended time of operation is obtained.

2. Brief Description of the Prior Art Spring motor driven cradles andswings have heretofore been proposed.

One such swing is shown in US. Pat. No. 2,807,309 to Saint et al., andimprovements thereon are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,059,725 and3,071,339.

These devices have been well received but the length of time ofoperation is limited before rewinding is required and normal operationof those swings is of the order of fifteen minutes.

Various suggestions have been made to increase the operating time butthese have not proven satisfactory and have still only permitted briefperiods of operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the invention an improvedpower spring construction is provided, using inner and outer seriesconnected spring sections, the connections between the spring sectionsbeing effected by a rotatable coupling member movable longitudinallyaxially with the spring sections, the spring construction providing agreatly increased period of operation and with protection againstoverwinding.

It is the principal object of the invention to provide a power operatedcradle or swing which is spring actuated, and in which the duration ofoperation is greatly increased.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a power operatedcradle or swing which is simple in construction, reliable in itsoperation and free from problems for the user.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a power operatedcradle or swing having an improved power spring construction. i

Other objects and advantageous features of the invention will beapparent from the description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The nature and characteristic featuresof the invention will be morereadily understood from the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings formingpart hereof, in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the motor operatingportion of a cradle or swing;

FIG. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view, enlarged, takenapproximately on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken approximately onthe line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken approximately onthe line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the drive shaft ratchet wheel,the spring sections and the spring coupler; 7

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the spring section couplershowing the engagement of the spring sections and the coupler;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of the spring coupler and outerspring section; and

FIG. 8 is a vertical sectional view, enlarged, taken on the line 8--8 ofFIG. I.

It should, of course, be understood that the description and drawingsherein are illustrative merely and that various modifications andchanges can be made in the structure disclosed without departing fromthe spirit of the invention.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now more particularlyto the drawings a canopy 10 is shown, preferably of sheet metalsupported in any desired manner, such as by pairs of diverging tubularsupporting legs 11 at each end.

The canopy 10 has a horizontal top wall 12, integral inclined front andrear walls 13 and 14 and has end caps 15 at each end in securedrelation.

An interior end frame is provided having a front inclined wall portion21 for secured engagement with the front wall 13, a horizontal topportion 22 and a rear inclined wall portion 23 for secured engagementwith the rear wall 14.

The frame plate 20 has a dished portion 24 with a hub 25 and legengaging and retaining lug portions 26.

An interior end frame is provided having a front inclined wall portion31 for secured engagement with the front wall 13, a horizontal topportion 32, and a rear inclined wall portion 33 for secured engagementwith the rear wall 14.

The frame plate 30 has a dished portion 34 with a hub 35 and legengaging and retaining lug portions 36.

A crank shaft 37 extends through and is supported in the hubs 25 and 35,extends through the end cap 15 at one end and has an exteriorlyaccessible manually operable crank arm 38. i

The shaft 37 has an oscillatable inverted U'shaped carriage or cradleframe 40 supported thereon withend walls 41 and 42 and hubs 43 and 44for bearing engagement with the shaft 37. The cradle frame 40 has abottom closure wall portion 45 and front and rear wall portions 46 and47, the cradle frame 40 preferably being constructed to prevent accessthereabove which might result in pinching of fingers.

The front and rear wall portions 46 and 47 have openings 48 forattachment of the supporting rods (not shown) of a swing seat or acradle.

The hub 43, at one end, extends into an opening 50 at one side of aratchet wheel 52, the ratchet wheel 52 being carried on the crank shaft37. The ratchet wheel 52 has a collar 53 on which one end of a tubularshaft 55 is secured. The shaft 55 preferably has a struck-in tongue 56engaged in a slot 57 in the collar 53 to key the shaft 55 to the ratchetwheel 52.

The other end of the shaft 55 has a bushing 59 secured therein with acentral opening 60 through which the crank shaft 37 extends. The bushing59 has a radial slot 61 which is engaged by a struck-out tongue 62 forrotation of the shaft 55 upon rotation of the crank shaft 37.

The carriage 40 has spaced pivots 64 and 65 which pivotally support apawl 66 having an edge portion 67 for engagement with one of the teethon the outer periphery 68 of the ratchet wheel 52, and which is adaptedto be moved outwardly upon movement of the ratchet wheel 52 in aclockwise direction as seen in FIG. 2. i

The interior end frame has a bracket 70 with a pivot opening 71, whichwith a parallel portion of the end frame 20 provides supports for pivots73 and 74 of a safety dog 75. The dog 75 has a tongue 76 for engagementwith a tooth of the outer periphery 68 of the ratchet wheel and acontrol tongue 78 for engagement by the inner cylindrical toothersurface 79 upon faster than normal movement of the ratchet wheel 52 tocause the tongue 76 to engage.

A spring 81 is engaged at one end on an arm 82 on the safety dog 75 andengaged at its other end on an arm 83 on the pawl 66. The spring 81 actsin tension and in compression. The operation of the pawl 66 and safetydog 75 is similar to that described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,071,339.

In order to provide the desired impelling force for long continuedoperation the force spring system to be described is employed.

An inner coil spring 85 preferably of spring wire of square orrectangular cross section to reduce the tendency of the turns tooverride, has one end hooked as at 86 into an opening 87 in the shaft55, has a plurality of turns as at 88 in close engagement with the shaft55 to provide more secure fastening action, a plurality of turns as at89 of conical configuration, and the major portion of its length withhelical turns of substantially uniform diameter as at 90. The innerspring 85 has an inwardly extending hook 91.

A spring section connector or coupling 95 is provided having a mountingsleeve 96 freely rotatable and longitudinally slidable on the tubularshaft 55.

The coupling 95 has a radially outwardly disposed segment 92 with an endshoulder 93 for engagement by the hook 91, and outwardly extendingspring retention fingers 94 and 97 for spring retention on the segment92. A spring retention arm 99 is provided having a face 100 in a commonplane with a face of the retention finger 97 and has a projection 101. Aspring retention arm 102 is provided having a face 103 in a common planewith the face 100 and has a spring holding projection 104. The coplanarfaces 100 and 103 serve as abutments to retain the inner spring 85 onthe coupling 95.

An outer spring 105 is provided, preferably of spring wire of square orrectangular cross section, and has an outwardly extending hook 106 forengagement with the projection 101.

The coplanar faces 100 and 103 of the spring retention arms 99 and 102and the corresponding face of the retention finger 97 also serve asabutments to retain the outer spring 105 on the coupling 95.

The projection 104 limits outward displacement of the outer spring 105.

An additional abutment arm 114 on the coupling 95 retains the ends ofthe springs 85 and 105 against displacement beyond the coupling 95. Thespring 105 has its major portion of helical turns as at 109 and at theend opposite the hook 106 has a plurality of conical turns as at 110,and a plurality of turns as at 111 for engagement with the shaft 55,when the shaft 55 is wound, and an end hook 112 which is engaged in theend wall 42 of the carriage 40. The spring 105 is of opposite hand fromthe spring 85.

The smaller diameter turns 111 of the outer spring 105 serve as releaseturns and provide a slip-clutch action to prevent excessive pull on thehook portion 112 upon movement of the carriage 40 as well as uponwinding.

The mode of operation will now be pointed out.

The power springs and 105 are wound by turning the crank arm 38 and theshaft 55, turning of the tubular shaft being effective for winding theinner spring 85 and through the coupling also winding the outer spring105. The effect is like that of winding a long continuous spring.Winding of the springs 85 and causes the coupling 95 to move along theshaft 55 toward the ratchet wheel 52, the coupling 95 turning on theshaft 55 as required for winding and transferring a winding action fromthe inner spring 85 to the outer spring 105.

The springs 85 and 105 are together effective for imparting a turningforce to the shaft 55. A swinging movement of the carriage 40 iseffected by reason of the escapement provided by the pawl 66 and safetydog 75.

The springs 85 and 105 are self-locking on the spring section coupling95.

The extended effective length of spring made available by the cotipiingof the inner and outer springs 85 and 105 provides for a greatlyextended period of operation for a single winding operation and whichcan be of the order of one hour, dependent upon the crosssectional areaof the spring turns and the number of turns.

1 claim:

1. A power operated swing comprising a frame,

a longitudinal shaft mounted in said frame,

a carriage swingably attached to said shaft,

a ratchet wheel secured to said shaft,

ratchet members for alternate engagement with said ratchet wheel andproviding with said ratchet wheel escapement mechanism for said shaft,and

spring actuating means carried on said shaft,

said spring actuating means including a pair of springs of opposite handone of which is in enclosing relation to the other,

a spring coupling member loosely mounted around said shaft for rotationon said shaft and sliding movement along said shaft upon change ofcondition of said springs,

each of said springs having a corresponding end in locked engagementwith said coupling member,

one of said springs having its other end connected to said shaft and theother of said springs having its other end connected to said carriage 2.A power operated swing as defined in claim 1 in which an additionalshaft is provided for rotating said first mentioned shaft for windingsaid pair of springs. 3. A power operated swing as defined in claim 1 inwhich said spring coupling member has'portions providing abutments toretain said springs from movement therebeyond. 4. A power operated swingas defined in claim 1 in which at least one of said springs contiguousto the other end has a plurality of turns for engagement with saidshaft. 5. A power operated swing as defined in claim 1 in which each ofsaid springs contiguous to its other end has a plurality of turns forengagement with said shaft.

6. A power operated swing as defined in claim 1 in which said springcoupling member has a projection for selfsaid springs have at least onepair of flat sides.

1. A power operated swing comprising a frame, a longitudinal shaftmounted in said frame, a carriage swingably attached to said shaft, aratchet wheel secured to said shaft, ratchet members for alternateengagement with said ratchet wheel and providing with said ratchet wheelescapement mechanism for said shaft, and spring actuating means carriedon said shaft, said spring actuating means including a pair of springsof opposite hand one of which is in enclosing relation to the other, aspring coupling member loosely mounted around said shaft for rotation onsaid shaft and sliding movement along said shaft upon change ofcondition of said springs, each of said springs having a correspondingend in locked engagement with said coupling member, one of said springshaving its other end connected to said shaft and the other of saidsprings having its other end connected to said carriage
 2. A poweroperated swing as defined in claim 1 in which an additional shaft isprovided for rotating said first mentioned shaft for winding said pairof springs.
 3. A power operated swing as defined in claim 1 in whichsaid spring coupling member has portions providing abutments to retainsaid springs from movement therebeyond.
 4. A power operated swing asdefined in claim 1 in which at least one of said springs contiguous tothe other end has a plurality of turns for engagement with said shaft.5. A power operated swing as defined in claim 1 in which each of saidsprings contiguous to its other end has a plurality of turns forengagement with said shaft.
 6. A power operated swing as defined inclaim 1 in which said spring coupling member has a projection forself-engagement by one of said springs.
 7. A power operated swing asdefined in claim 1 in which said spring coupling member has portions fordetachable engagement with said corresponding spring ends.
 8. A poweroperated swing as defined in claim 1 in which said springs have at leastone pair of flat sides.